Getting older isn't just about arm flab or memory loss. It has its advantages like senior discounts or two for one at IHOP (between the hours of 4 and 6pm only). It's not much different than the terrible twos but without the spankings....that is unless you want one.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Survivor

I got to thinking over the weekend that life is like the reality show Survivor. We try to make it to the end of the game with as many of our major organs as possible. I am now in my 60th year of playing this game. I did pretty well until age 5 and that was my first time not to make it out of tribal council intact. My tonsils were the first to be voted off the island. We made it through the next few years pretty successful. We dodged all the challenges and even won immunity a few times thanks to numerous vaccines like polio and smallpox. Unfortunately there were a few roadblocks such as measles, mumps acquired long before immunity was offered. We (my major organs and I) were holding our own until age 32 when 30 of my fellow teammates conspired to vote off my wisdom teeth. They were the victims of a conspiring alliance established by a few deciduous molars who had arrived later in the game. Fortunately, none of the fallen players had been essential to my overall strategy to this point and frankly were hardly missed after being exiled. It wasn't until the next year when another secret alliance formed and those players conspired to vote off another smaller yet powerful alliance. The larger alliance became aware of this smaller groups ability to multiply and decided to go after them with gusto. In one vote the entire alliance of female reproductive organs was voted OFF the island. It was about this time that I realized just how quickly ones own tribal members can turn on their own. I decided I'd better improve my strategy if I was going to sustain myself in this game. No more members of my tribe fell victim to tribal council until suddenly the galbladder starting behaving in such a manner as to cause all the other members of our tribe to react with disdain. The gallbladder just started going nuts without provocation. There were sudden outbursts of venom and bile with no apparent cause. We didn't know if the island was just getting to be too much or what. This time I had to agree with all my other teammates that voting him off as quickly as possible was our best strategic move.

So, here I am, still in the game and it's my 60th year. I still have some strong players in my tribe. However, we are down to the essential players and although I have a few more that can be spared the majority of them are vital to our tribe's survival. Tribal councils are getting rougher and the challenges are definitely picking up; upper and lower GI's and that one evil challenge the colonoscopy ( I don't know who thought that one up) but we've survived so far and I'm still in this game to win it.

About Me

I am a 63 year old newly wed...I can't believe I'm saying that. After 34 years of being alone I married my best friend in the whole world on May 7, 2011. All good things are worth waiting for. My loving husband joined me as a primary caregiver to my 65 year old brother who has battled the disease of schizophrenia since he was 19 years old.